Maha BJP executive meeting on April 26

Mumbai, Apr 20 (PTI) A two-day state executive meeting of the Maharashtra BJP will be held in Pimpri Chinchwad area near Pune from April 26.

The meeting, to be attended by the party office-bearers, legislators, and ministers, will discuss various political and economic issues concerning the state, sources said today.

State Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil told PTI that the BJP core committee of the state leaders met at Varsha, the official residence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis here today, to discuss the preparations for the upcoming conclave.

The meeting, which lasted for more than four hours, also took stock of the BJPs performance in the recently-concluded elections to the local bodies and municipal corporations, where the party has done well.

Meanwhile, Patil denied the reports that expansion or reshuffle of the state Cabinet was discussed today.

However, the sources in the government said that the reshuffle and expansion of Cabinet is likely to take place next month.

At present, there are three vacancies, including one for a Cabinet-rank minister and two for the ministers of state, from the BJP quota.

The current strength of the council of ministers, including the chief minister, is 39.

The maximum strength of the council of ministers in Maharashtra is 42.

Names of the Mumbai unit BJP president Ashish Shelar and Vinaykumar Gavit, a tribal leader from Nandurbar who quit the NCP to join the BJP ahead of the Assembly polls in 2014, are in the reckoning for the ministerial berths, sources said.

The last Cabinet expansion took place in August last year, when ten new faces were inducted.

According to the sources, the chief minister is monitoring the performance of his ministers and had set targets for their respective departments to achieve.

"Those who have not been up to the mark in achieving the development goals are likely to be replaced," they added. PTI MR NSK

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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